Government and public sector reform

REFLECTIONS ON DIGITAL GOVERNMENT

I gave an interview to Intermedium as part of a series of conferences they ran late last year to explore the next phase of digital transformation in government.

Themes were around mutual respect, humility and the need for digital innovators to understand deeply the contours and constraints of the world they seek to unsettle.

It’s a paradox, I guess, that innovators have to invest heavily in getting under the skin, and showing real respect for intrinsic complexity and contention, of the cultures they then seek to change, often dramatically.

I also explored a couple of other ideas, one of which is captured by the challenge for government more and more to “be digital” as opposed to “do digital”, however well. And the other reflects a view that, in the end, the future of government is government (as opposed to the notion that “the future of government is digital”).

The interview is in two parts and there is a short preview video as well (all available at this link)

PROCUREMENT EATS INNOVATION FOR BREAKFAST (MSW NOTES)

My notes from a conversation with a mix of public servants about the challenges of evolving public sector procurement practices to align more effectively with the need for faster and more innovative approaches to problem solving and policy.

“Poor procurement outcomes for innovation are often the result of lack of clarity and consistency from the business proponents and a distinctly “us and them” attitude between project proponents and procurement professionals. The ability to construct a more pragmatic and productive partnership – creating a “one team” approach – from the earliest stages of the project, which is itself partly a reflection of the prevailing culture and level of organisational maturity, matters a lot to the quality of the eventual outcome”

RELATIONAL WELFARE

One of the best descriptions of big forces for change in the way we conceive of, and deliver, social and human services, written by Hilary Cottam, a former CEO of the UK Design Council and with Charlie Leadbeater, founder of Participle, a public services design company that recently concluded its work.

“The current parameters of the debate around welfare reform are inadequate. A relentless focus on finance and costs has obscured the systemic challenges facing our post-war welfare institutions. Although exacerbated by the current financial crisis, these challenges have deeper roots, and are as much about culture, systems and relationships as they are about money.”